| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Herodias by Gustave Flaubert: eyes fixed upon each other.
"I know that man," said Herodias, after they had disappeared. "His
name is Phanuel, and he will try to seek out Iaokanann, since thou
wert so foolish as to allow him to live."
Antipas said that the man might some day be useful to them. His
attacks upon Jerusalem would gain them the allegiance of the rest of
the Jews.
"No," said Herodias, "the Jews will accept any master, and are
incapable of feeling any true patriotism." She added that, as for the
man who was trying to influence the people with hopes cherished since
the days of Nehemiah, the best policy was to suppress him.
Herodias |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Europeans by Henry James: for paying doctor's bills; perhaps even for portioning daughters."
"And the daughters?" Madame Munster demanded. "How many are there?"
"There are two, Charlotte and Gertrude."
"Are they pretty?"
"One of them," said Felix.
"Which is that?"
The young man was silent, looking at his sister.
"Charlotte," he said at last.
She looked at him in return. "I see. You are in love with Gertrude.
They must be Puritans to their finger-tips; anything but gay!"
"No, they are not gay," Felix admitted. "They are sober;
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Facino Cane by Honore de Balzac: rose before my eyes, and I computed that I had left behind thirty
millions in silver, twenty in gold, and many more in diamonds, pearls,
and rubies--then a sort of madness began to work in me. I had the gold
fever.
"We landed at Smyrna and took ship at once for France. As we went on
board the French vessel, Heaven favored me by ridding me of my
accomplice. I did not think at the time of all the possible
consequences of this mishap, and rejoiced not a little. We were so
completely unnerved by all that had happened, that we were stupid, we
said not a word to each other, we waited till it should be safe to
enjoy ourselves at our ease. It was not wonderful that the rogue's
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland by Olive Schreiner: hut to get food and medicine for his master, the men who were fighting
caught him, and they said, 'Oh, you betrayer of your people, white man's
dog, who are on the side of those who take our lands and our wives and our
daughters before our eyes; tell us where you have hidden him?' And when he
would not answer them, they killed him before the door of the hut. And
when the night came, the white man crept up on his hands and knees, and
came to his hut to look for food. All the other men were gone, but his
servant lay dead before the door; and the white man knew how it must have
happened. He could not creep further, and he lay down before the door, and
that night the white man and the black lay there dead together, side by
side. Both those men were of my friends."
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